The first cluster for the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) has begun building hardware and is on track to begin a key evaluation near the end of the year, according to government and industry officials. Lt. Col. David Lockhart (USA), the government's Cluster 1 manager, said in a July 7 press briefing that his program has not been easy because it was the first in a multiservice family of software-programmable communication radios. But he said Cluster 1 is making "significant progress."
The Pentagon has kicked off a review that is expected to give the U.S. Army the go-ahead to develop the Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) and pick a prime contractor, according to Army spokespersons. A Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) had been scheduled to meet June 25 to scrutinize the program, but acting Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Wynne decided instead that the review would be done in writing. An Army spokesperson told The DAILY in a recent statement that "paper" DABs "are not uncommon for programs [that] are considered ready for the next phase."
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has sent letters to President Bush and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), asking them to support increased funding for NASA in fiscal year 2005 and beyond. "We just wanted to remind both candidates that this part of the aerospace industry is enormously important to us. It's enormously important to the American people and we need to make sure that NASA is adequately funded to meet this important need of the future," said AIA President and CEO John W. Douglass.
The Missile Defense Agency held a dedication ceremony July 3 for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program at Fort Greely, Alaska. The ceremony marked the end of initial construction for the missile defense site there, MDA said. The GMD system is slated to become operational this fall. The first interceptor is scheduled to be installed in mid-July, and four more are to be placed there by the end of September (DAILY, July 6).
AEGIS SUPPORT: The U.S. Navy Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement to Anteon International Corporation to provide management and technical support to the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program Directorate. The BPA is valued at about $45 million and has a 16-month period of performance. Anteon will provide acquisition and life cycle management, test evaluation, engineering and integration, system design, concept development and requirements analysis, and strategic planning for technology programs.
Egypt wants to continue a program to upgrade its CH-47C helicopters to the more modern CH-47D configuration. It has asked the Pentagon for engines and other equipment worth about $108 million to convert three C model Boeing Chinooks in its inventory to D models, according to a July 6 announcement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). Congress must approve the plan.
ELECTRONICS UPGRADE: EDO Corp. has been awarded $21.3 million in contracts during the first half of 2004 to maintain and upgrade the AN/ALQ-161 defensive electronics on the B-1B bomber, the company said July 6. The AN/ALQ-161 identifies and detects adversary threat emitters and applies the appropriate jamming technique. New jamming technology will enhance the AN/ALQ-161's capabilities and allow rapid reprogramming to address future threats, the company said.
House lawmakers are expected to hold a hearing this week on defense and aerospace trade offsets and to name conferees who will work with the Senate to hammer out details of the fiscal 2005 defense authorization bill.
International cooperation on missile defense has gained a boost on two fronts, with the tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) clearing a major hurdle and Australia revealing more details about potential ties with the United States.
The U.S. Navy, through an effort called Radiant Blue, is evaluating its blue force tracking (BFT) requirements in support of maritime operations, according to Capt. Jon See (USMC), Navy tactical exploitation of national capabilities (TENCAP) project officer at the Naval Network and Space Operations Command. The Navy hasn't procured BFT devices for Navy units, as the Army has with (Force Battle Command, Brigade and Below (FBCB2), the major digital command and control system for the brigade level and below.
MOSCOW - Anatoly Perminov, head of Russia's Federal Space Agency (FSA), said he sees "no problem" with the creation of a consolidated holding company for the rocket engine industry, and said such a move is "necessary." In early July, the FSA distributed a memo about merging Russia's rocket engine manufacturers into a single holding company. The government is actively promoting the consolidation of both the aviation and rocket and space industries. Perminov said the integrated companies would be easier to manage and more cost-efficient.
The U.S. Army's Tactical Exploitation System (TES) - consisting of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s family of multi-intelligence ground stations - demonstrated some interoperability capabilities for the first time with airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors during a recent exercise. During the Joint Forces Command-sponsored Combined Joint Task Force Exercise (CJTFEX) at Fort Bragg, N.C., June 12-21, "there were several firsts," Ken Jennings, manager of C4ISRT network systems at Northrop Grumman Electronics Systems, told The DAILY.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Environment Center (SEC) appears to be on better footing following a budget scare last fall in which Senate appropriators threatened to eliminate the center's funding. Located in Boulder, Colo., the SEC monitors and forecasts space weather phenomena such as solar flares that can adversely affect spacecraft, aircraft, or ground-based electrical power and communications systems. It has a staff of 47 federal employees.
U.S. defense companies hold a technological lead over their international rivals in most areas of command-and-control (C2) technology, but several aspects of the domestic industry still need nurturing, the Pentagon says in a new report.
NASA BILL: Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Science Committee, plans to introduce a NASA authorization bill in the House after the Independence Day recess, according to spokesman Joe Pouliot. Pouliot says Boehlert's office is not ready to discuss specifics of the bill until after the break. NASA has asked for $16.2 billion for 2005, $866 million more than the agency's 2004 budget.
EVALUATING: Two United Kingdom Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons will be returning home this month after being sent to Singapore for about two weeks. Singapore is evaluating the aircraft for its fighter replacement program, along with the U.S. F-15 and the French Rafale, and is expected to make a decision next year (DAILY, June 18). The trip to Singapore also allows for the testing of some key performance requirements, including air-to-air refueling and performance in a hot and humid environment, according to Eurofighter partner BAE Systems.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) standards committee has released its first technical standard, which defines the requirements for an automatic "sense-and-avoid" system that would allow UAVs to detect and deconflict with other air traffic.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) plans to hold a hearing this month on so-called "revolving door" rules aimed at high-ranking federal officials who leave their posts and take lucrative jobs with government contractors.
July 7 - 8 -- Precision Strike Summer PEO Forum, "Balancing Precision Strike for the Joint Force Commander Across Asymmetric Battlefields," Huntsville Marriott Grand Ballroom, Huntsville, Ala. For information go to www.precisionstrike.org. July 11 - 14 - AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE 40th Joint Propulsion Conference, Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Call (703) 264-7500, fax (703) 264-7657 or go to www.aiaa.org.
The U.S. Army is procuring multiband super high frequency (SHF) Phoenix satellite terminals, part of a new family of military satellite ground terminals, according to Maj. Gen. Dennis Moran, director of Army information operations, space, and networks.
NEW MANAGEMENT: The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) believes that management of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program acquisition should remain with one service, and that the secretary of defense should revise the management oversight of the program by Nov. 15, the committee says in its report on the fiscal 2005 defense bill. "The Navy, due to its significant investment in two variants of the F-35, should be assigned all of the acquisition executive oversight responsibilities," the bill says.
STAYING MOBILE: NASA is working on concepts for mobile lunar bases that would travel via wheels or even legs, according to the agency. "If you set up a base at a fixed location on the moon, you are very limited in the sites of scientific interest that you can reach," says researcher Marc Cohen of NASA's Ames Research Center, Calif.
RAPTOR ENGINES: Pratt & Whitney will produce F119-PW-100 engines for the F/A-22 Raptor under a $431 million supplemental contract from the U.S. Air Force, the company said. The supplement covers 42 installed engines for 2006 deliveries, spare engines, spare parts, and support services. The supplement was added to a $168 million existing contract issued in 2003. The contract's overall value is about $600 million.
